Switching device



March 16, 1954 s. w. Maccl-IEYNE 2,672,592

SWITCHING DEVICE Filed Sept. 29, 1948 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHMI' Patented Mar. 16, 1954 SWITCHING DEVICE George W. MacCheyne, Rochester, N. Y., assignor to Stromberg-Carlson Company, a corporation of New York Application September 29, 1948, Serial No. 51,690

6 Claims.

My invention relates to switching devices, and more particularly to improvements in means for substituting, in an electrical circuit, any one of a plurality of sets of electrical components for any other set.

It is frequently necessary in an electrical circuit, such as the R. F. section of a radio receiver, for example, to change simultaneously the values of a number of inductances, capacitors, resistors, or some combination thereof. Furthermore, it is desirable to eliminate entirely from the circuit those components not in use. To minimize stray capacitance, the components are frequently mounted on a rotatable structure which also carries a set of contacts for each set of electrical components. By rotating this structure, the appropriate set of contacts may be connected to a stationary set of mating contacts. In the R. F. section of radio or television receivers, such an arrangement is frequently referred to as a coilchanging turret. Where a large number of electrical components must be accommodated in a single device, the physical spacing between contacts necessitates a large physical size for the device and a large amount of material. The latter consideration is important where the device is to be molded from a relatively expensive low-loss plastic, such as polystyrene.

It is accordingly an object of my invention to provide means for substituting, in an electrical circuit, any one of a plurality of sets of electrical components for any other set which occupies less space than means heretofore employed.

It is a further object of my invention to provide means for substituting, in an electrical circuit, any one of a plurality of sets of electrical' components for any other set, which requires less material than means heretofore employed.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the following de scription proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, of which Fig. l shows a front elevation.

Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of my invention.

Fig. 3 is a top View of my device.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, there is provided a support such as a disk I which may have teeth 2 arranged to mesh with pinion 3, although any means for enabling the disk to be rotated at will 4may be used. Mounted in interspersed relationship on the disk are a plurality of sets of coils, ten sets being shown, each set comprising one or more coils, three coils being indicated by the unprimed, primed, and double primed numerals. The numbers of the sets are indicated by the numerals II through 2c. Each coil in each set is provided with two contacts, as indicated for set Il by the a or "b sufiixed to the coil designation. Designations of the contacts for the remaining sets have been omitted because of space limitations, but the contacts are correspondingly located.

In previous practice it has been customary to locate all coils (or other electrical components) of each set on a radial line from the center of rotation 4 of the disk I. 'Ihis causes crowding of the contacts near the center, and results in inadequate spacing.

According to my invention, I dispose the contacts of a given set, say, set II (comprising coils II, Il and II") along a diametrical line, in this case line 5 5. Some of the contacts, such as II"ar and II"b, I place on one side of the center of rotation 4, and the remainder I place on the other side. I choose the radial distance from any one contact to the center of rotation different from that of any other contact in the same set, but the same as the corresponding contacts of every other set; that is, the distance from the center of rotation to contact IIa is the same as to contacts IZa, 13a, etc. By rotating disk I through it will be seen that all contacts of set II are disengaged from the fixed mating contact means 6a, 6b, 'a, 'b, @"a, and 6b. At the same time, however, the corresponding contacts of set I6 are engaged with these fixed contacts. Since the double use of each diametrical line allows two sets of components to be accommodated, I require a smaller diameter for -disk I than if all contacts of each set were placed on one side of the axis of rotation 4. By choosing, in the case of sets of coils, resonant frequencies for coil set Il far removed from set I6 (and similarly for other paired sets of coils), I avoid capacitive loading effects on any given diametrical line. Likewise, such effects are minimized between adiacent sets of coils. such as Il and I2, because of the relatively greater inter-contact spacing made possible by my invention.

While I have shown and described a specic embodiment of my invention, other modications will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. I do not. therefore, desire my invention to be limited to the specic varrangement shown and described. For example, a drum-like structure cal circuit, any one of a plurality of sets of eleclo trical components for any other set, a disk ar ranged to be rotated at will to a desired position; said sets of electrical components being mounted on said disk; means for supporting saidfdiskifor rotation; a plurality of setsfof"electrical-contacts also carried by said disk, each set of contacts being connected to a correspondingonelof said sets of components and each set of said contacts being disposed along a diametrical line-through the axis of rotation of saiid disk, some contacts in said :rset being ilocated -on sone side of .said 'axis and the `ren'iainixigicontactsfof lsaidfset being located onrtheotherrside. of saidsaxis, thef radial distance 'of reach contact from :said axis ibeing yidifferent ffrom that fof fevery 'other contact in r its own set.b.utthe'samefasfthatfcfthe corresponding contact intall otherfsets; and :a setbf stationary contactsconnectedwto lsaiid electrical .circuit and mountedinIxedlrelationsl'iip'to :'said supporting nteansrandarranged to mate withanyf one of said sets of contacts.

12.5Incameansforfsubstituting, in an electrical circuit, .zany onesof sa 4:plurality :of `'sets tof :electrical :components for any other set, rotatable mounting means for said` sets tof '.components; l a plurality: of sets .of fcontacting fmeans secured to said mounting means, each set being .connected tomicorrespcndingone of said sets of.` components; supporting rmcans ttor esaid :rotatable -mounting means; imatingcontact means :arranged torenguise.:said,contactingA means, saidmatingY contact meansfbeing xed withfrespect toV said supporting means; veachfsetfof said (contacting i means being disposed i along a ,diametrical line .individual to that:set=and passingx at right r.anglesthrough-.the ms o! #rotationfoffsaidfmounting means, part of each-set of-A contacting! meansbeing on one vside ofrsaidaxis-:and the? remainderfon,l the other side,

and :so positioned -1that `the radialdistance fromeachof said contactingnneanstto` said axis-.is different .than thatfotany other cisaid-.contacting means Ainlthatfset,X but islthel same afs-,that .ofthe corresponding contacting means inieveryother set, whereby a-,setbf contactingmeans maybe connected ltosaid .mating .contact means at any giuenctimezby-.rotating said mountingmeans until the: desired set of said` .contactingmeans .reaches said f.matin.gcontact.means, .while at .the :same time f all other .contacts .are lexcluded from said electrical circuit.

i3. .In .fan yarrangement for connecting any destredrcneoffa lpluralitynf,sets off electrical .components into 1an electrical circuit, ai drivenlmember rotatable about anfaxissaid sets `of compo,

nente beingmountedfon said-'driven member; a driving member; rsupporting means for said driven f and f `said driving fmembers; a c plurality of sets of Ycontacting means "also :mounted `on rsaid driven member, each of said sets offcompon'ents beingy connected lto a corresponding; one of' said setsfof 'contacting means; a 'set `of mating contacting means arranged tomate `wthsaidcontacting means andimounted in `'fixed relationship to said 'supporting means; `said set fof mating contacting means being connected to said electrical circuit; each of said sets of contacting means being diametrically disposed along a line individual to that set and passing at right angles through said axis; some contacting means of each set being disposed on one side of said axis and the remaining contacting means of each set being 'disposed-'cn the tothe: *side :of said axis; eachfofisaid setsiof con-tactmgfmeansibeing arranged such that the set of contacting means ibeing used at a given time is engaged with said .matingcontact means while all contacts of the sets not in use are disengaged.

4cm an arrangement for substituting com- `:patients.infan vIelectrical circuit, a plurality o1' sets of electricalfeonrponents, each having at least a .pairf-.terminalpoints for electrical connection, a member rotatable about an axis, means iforv'mounting said sets of components in interspersed relationship on Isaid member, means for supporting said member, a plurality `of groupant sets ozl contacting .means .also mountedon `said memben, and .means for connecting-saidtermiml pointslof `each of said componentsstoaafcorresponding one of said sets of contactingmeans. the `said -contacting means corresponding `to f' a single component being i disposed Y. along ,a single radius of Vsaid member, eachy of said sets' of @contacting means being.. disposedAn-a planemerpen dicular to said Faxis of rotation `and .each group of ,said contacting means being ldisposed .falongia plurality of` radiuses of -said member.

i 5. AA device, for substituting componentsiinan electrical circuit comprisngpasupport element having two'substantiallyilat surfaceareas, means for mounting said supporti` element forrotation about an` axis substantially. perpendicular Ato, said surfaces; a .plurality of .groupsofrelectrical. .c.cm ponents,` means for. mounting. saidelectricalcomjponents in interspersed relationshipononeof said surfaces, .contact meansprojecting fromthe other of said` surfacesand meansior .extendit'lg an electrical .connection from .each .of saidcomponents i to said. contact means.

6. .In an .arrangementfor connecting any desired .oneof a plurality of sets'of` electrical components into an electrical circuit, a member mounted for rotationabout an axis, said sets of components'being mounted in interspersedretacting means; and a `set df'mating contacting means connected in said electricalbircuitand mounted in iixed relationship l'to the first-mensingle componentbeing disposed Aalong asinglel radiusI of said member.

"GEORGE W.

References Cited .inthe .ille .of this, patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 'Date 1,986,525 "Pfaff JJan. l, 1935 2,075,396 Keim -fMarfBO, 1937 2,078,908 'Harrison Apr. 27, 11937 `2,078,909 vGunther a Apr.27, 193'? 2,103,035 `Lear `iDec.21,I-937 2,4231152 'Mitchell 'July 1, "i947 21496-,1-'83 Thies et `al. `"Jan.-1 l1,fl950` 

